Heating means



Oct. 27, 1942. J. COLOSIMO 2,300,105

HEATING MEANS Filed Aug. 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN T f 6040J/M0.

l TRNEY.

HEATING MEANS Filed Aug. 21, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZSmaentor:

,/ C04 0.5mm,

Gttorneg Patented Oct. 27, 1942 "UNITED STATES PATENT orrics r 10 Claims.

My invention relates to a'heating means and is particularly applicable to such heating means as orchard heaters, heating furnaces and the like.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to providea heating means which contains a large supply of liquid fuel which is intended to be vaporized-prior to final combustion, and in which'only a small portion of the surface of the liquid fuel is ignited for producing fuel vapor, thereby providing a minimum but necessary amount of fuel vapor for efficient combustion, and thereby preventing to a large extent choking 0r clogging ofthe vapor and air passages, or causing sootto accumulate in the receptacle or other portions of the heater.

An important objectof thisinvention is to provide such means which may be readily applied and adapted economically to many heaters which are nowin use.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a combustionchamber for such heating means, in which-efficient combustion takes place near the base of the heating means, and whereby the heat from-the combustion chamber may radiate outwardly inevery direction in order not only to heat the foliageof orchard trees but :also to heat the ground surroundingthe device, thereby to-conserve the heat which otherwise would be dissipated in the atmosphere.

An important object of this inventionis-also to provide a combustion chamber for heating means of this class whereby precipitation or moisture may not readily enter the same from outside of the heater.

Afurther object of this invention is-to provide means "for quickly extinguishing combustion within the heater.

With these andother' objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a heating means having certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail, and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a heater embodying my invention in one form, and showing aportion thereof in section to facilitatereading of the illustration;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof :in plan taken substantially at 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional and partial elevaextends upwardly from the float.

modified form of construction, embodying my invention;

Fig. 4 shows the device of my invention as applied to a heating furnace of the hot airtype; and,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section showing a modified form of combustion chamber for use in connection with my heater.

The device, shown in Fig. 1, is an orchard heater. It is provided with a base consisting of a liquid fuel or fuel oil receptacle Land is provided with a cover v2 having a central neck 3. On this neck is supported the fire box which consists in this instance of fire box members 4 and 5. Extending upwardly from the fire box is the usual stack 6. i

The receptacle I is cylindrical and has vertical side walls I In the receptacle is .a float Ii which is adapted to rest upon the surface of the liquid fuel therein. This float covers substan tially the whole of the surface of. the liquid fuel but is provided with a central opening I l which is relatively small compared with the diameter of the receptacle. The float as shown is preferably made of sheet metal and is hollow. It

has a straight bottom to rest squarely on the fuel, but the top surface is shown inwardly inclined in order to drain any fuel which may be spilled thereon back into the receptacle.

This float may be provided with a cylindrical sleeve [2 which surrounds the opening H and This sleeve is of substantially the diameter of the neck 3, or, as

her 5 fitting over the member 4.

shown in the drawings, it is of slightly'smaller diameter so that the sleeve may enter the neck.

In the bottom portions of the sleeve are ports I2 which are located preferably slightly above the float. It will be noted that as the liquid in the receptacle I is raised and lowered, the float is guided vertically by the walls I of the receptacle, and the sleeve l2 may move freely into or from the neck.

The members 4 and 5, which comprise the fire box-and provide a bulge or enlargement in the stack, are frusto-conical members which are joined at their large diameter portions, the mem- The small diameter endof the member 4 fits into the upper end of the neck 3, and may be positioned inwardly or outwardly thereof. The stack 6 fits over the small end of the upper member 5.

At the lower portion of the frusto-conical fire box member 4, immediately above the end connected to the neck, are several circular rows of tiona'l' View "of an -orcha-rd*'heater,- in 'a slightly 5 "ports- 4 which areformed by angularly-slitting the member 4 and pressing the portion at one side of the slit outwardly, providing angular passages for air entering the fire box from the outside. An apron or shield l3, which is cylindrical in form, depends from the outer surface of the lower fire box member 4 and is spaced outwardly from the neck and also outwardly from the ports 4 Thus moisture and foreign matter is prevented from entering the ports 4 and the air entering the apron or shield I3 is forced to pass upwardly through a partially heated passageway.

If desired, the neck may be provided with a circular row of ports 3 below the connection with the lower fire box member 4.

It will be noted that there are no ports or vents provided in the upper portion of the fire box.

The cover 2 is provided with adjustable air admitting or vent means I4.

When the liquid fuel in the receptacle is ignited, such ignition or combustion of the liquid fuel can take place only at the exposed portion of the surface, which is at the opening Il The combustion taking place at this portion of the surface is only a partial combustion and vaporizes the fuel, which passes upwardly through the vapor opening in the neck and passes into the flre box. Partial combustion of the liquid fuel is supported by air admitted through the adjustable vent means I l. The sleeve l2 provides a circular baflle around the rising vapor, and the partial combustion taking place therein is supported by air entering through the ports li Final combustion takes place within the fire box and is supported by air admitted through the ports or passages 3 0r 4 or both. Because of the angular arrangement of the passages 3 and 4 the in-rushing air is given a swirling motion, causing the igniting fuel therein to assume a similar course, and throwing the same against the Wall of the fire box. This causes considerable radiation of heat outwardly and downwardly, and such downwardly directed radiation is not only beneficial in orchard heating because it spreads the heat over a larger area, but is particularly advantageous where the heater is used in connection with smaller plants, such as tomatoes and other vegetables.

The purpose and function of the float is set forth generally in the objects of the invention. When the whole surface is exposed to the flame, more liquid fuel is vaporizedthan may be effectively and efficiently consumed. Also when the partially burned gas impinges against the underside of the cover and neck, it is formed into soot, and adheres to such portions. With my float, only a portion of the surface of the fuel is exposed and that directly below the discharge passage or stack. The float also is lowered with the surface of the fuel and, therefore, exposes a portion of the surface immediately adjacent the surface.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have shown my in vention as applied to the conventional orchard heater now in use. Such application consists merely in the provision of a large cylindrical sleeve IS with vertical walls for guiding the float H, mounted on the surface of the liquid fuel in the receptacle.

In the illustration of Fig. 4, the numeral 20 designates a hot air furnace, in the bottom of which is placed a cylindrical oil vessel 2|, fitted with a float 22, which may be a duplicate of the aforenamed float II. The cover 2 and float neck l2 may also here be employed, but it is preferred, in this case, to place a vertical series of baiiies 23, 24 in the furnace to cause retarding of the flow of the partially burnt gases from the ignited fuel oil. Air is admitted through adjustable air admission openings 25, one directed into the chamber containing the oil vessel 2|, and another into the chamber above the baffle 23. The exhaust gases pass through duct 26 into the chimney or flue (not shown).

Control devices, such as prescribed by codes or ordinances of the community within which the furnace is installed should, of course, be embodied and such devices are here conventionally indicated to comprise a float valve 21, controlling the flow through a supply pipe 28.

Fig. 5 shows a modified construction of the stack for use in connection with the heater shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This stack is designed to radiate and direct the greater portion of the generated heat from the combustion chamber of the heater downwardly and outwardly. For this purpose the combustion chamber is constructed substantially in the form of an inverted truncated cone, the inclined surface 3| of the cone flaring upwardly and outwardly from the neck 3. The inclination of this portion of the cone is such that the heat from the combustion chamber will be directed outwardly the greatest distance from the base of the heater, so as to adapt the heater for efficient heating of vegetation close to the ground. To eliminate as much as possible upward radiation, I have provided a double wall or an insulated wall 32 at the top of the aforementioned wall 3 l. The upper wall 32 may have a central stack 6, and when such a central stack is employed, the double or insulated wall is slightly frustoconical to facilitate the escape of gases of combustion through the stack. In addition to the stack, the upper portion of the wall 3! may have ports 3i] to cause the hot gases to impinge against the whole of the wall 3| in its passage upwardly. These ports are intended also to prevent pocketing of air or gases. By proper proportioning of the inclination of the Wall 32, the stack 6, and the ports 3W, either the stack or ports may be eliminated.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, and certain modifications thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my invention, the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a heating means, a liquid fuel receptacle, a float for covering substantially the surface of the liquid in the receptacle but provided with a relatively small opening for exposing a portion of the fuel surface to permit combustion of said fuel at said exposed portion, and a stack of substantially the cross-sectional area'of the opening and communicating at its lower end directly therewith.

2. In a heating means, a liquid fuel receptacle, a float for covering substantially the surface of the liquid in the receptacle but provided with a relatively small opening for exposing a portion of the fuel surface to permit combustion of said fuel at said exposed portion, and a combustion chamber above the receptacle communicating at its lower end directly with the exposed portion of the fuel, said combustion chamber having air admission openings at its lower end.

, 3. In a heating means, a liquid fuel receptacle having a vapor discharge opening and an air admission opening at the upper portion, the latter spaced a considerable distance from the former, and a float for covering substantially the surface of the liquid in the receptacle but provided with a relatively small opening substantially in vertical alignment with the vapor opening for exposing a portion of the surface to permit coinbustion of said fuel at said exposed portion.

4. In a heating means, a liquid fuel receptacle having a vapor discharge opening and an air admission opening at the upper portion, a float for covering substantially the surface of the liquid in the receptacle but provided with a relatively small opening for exposing a portion of the surface to permit combustion of said fuel at said exposed portion, and a cylindrical baffle surrounding the opening in the float and extending upwardly therefrom and communicating directly with said vapor opening, said cylindrical baffle having air admission holes at the lower end near,

the float and communicating with the air admission opening of the receptacle.

5. In a heating means, a liquid fuel receptacle having at its interior a vertical cylindrical wall, a float for covering substantially the surface of the liquid Within the cylindrical wall but provided with a relatively small opening for exposing a portion of the surface to permit combustion of said fuel at said exposed portion, and a stack of substantially the cross-sectional area of the opening and communicating at its lower end directly therewith.

6. In a heating means, a liquid fuel receptacle having at its interior a vertical cylindrical wall and provided with a vapor discharge opening and an air admission opening at the upper portion, and a float for covering substantially the surface of the liquid within the vertical cylindrical wall, but provided with a relatively small opening substantially in vertical alignment with the vapor opening for exposing a, portion of the surface to permit combustion of said fuel at said exposed portion.

7. In a heating means, a liquid fuel receptacle adapted to contain liquid fuel and having a vapor discharge opening at its upper portion, means within the receptacle adapted to cover the surface of the liquid fuel but provided with an opening immediately below the vapor opening for exposing a portion of said surface, and a combustion chamber extending above the receptacle in line with the vapor opening, said combustion chamber having air admission openings at its lower portion around said vapor opening.

8. In a heating means, a receptacle for receiving liquid fuel and provided at its upper portion with a vapor discharge opening and an air admission opening, a large flat float of substantially the cross-section of the receptacle adapted to be supported by and on the surface of the liquid fuel therein, said float having an opening therein for exposing a part of the surface of the liquid fuel, and a vertical cylindrical baffle surrounding the opening and carried by the float, said bafile being in alignment with the vapor discharge opening of the receptacle.

9. In a heating means, a receptacle for receiving liquid fuel and provided at its upper portion with a vapor discharge opening and an air admission opening, a large fiat float of substantially the cross-section of the receptacle adapted to be supported by and on the surface of the liquid fuel therein, said float having an opening therein for exposing a part of the surface of the liquid fuel, a vertical cylindrical baffle surrounding the opening and carried by the float, said bafile being in alignment with the vapor discharge opening of the receptacle, and adapted to project into said vapor discharge opening when the float is shifted to a raised position by the liquid fuel in the receptacle.

10. In a heating means, a receptacle for receiving liquid fuel and provided at its upper portion with a vapor discharge opening and an air admission opening, a large flat float of substantially the cross-section of the receptacle adapted to be supported by and on the surface of the liquid fuel therein, said float having an opening therein for exposing a part of the surface of the liquid fuel, a vertical cylindrical baffle surrounding the opening and carried by the float, said baffle being in alignment with the vapor discharge opening of the receptacle, the cylindrical baffle having air admission openings immediately above the float.

JOSEPH COLOSIMO. 

